Lookie What I Got!

(Please excuse the grammar up there but it seems appropriate...)

I'm attempting to post a pic, so here goes...

(M'okay...the pic is too big and I'm trying to re-size it so it shows the whole thing. Need to work on my picture posting skilz...but you get the gist, right?? I'll keep trying till I get it right!)

As an aside: This is about the 6th time I've reposted this silly pic, so if it doesn't make sense, rest assured, I'm frustrated....grrr....

No matter, I'm proud of my skillet. I've already made some yummy pancakes in it. It was great because I spilled some mix over the side, accidentally (sp? just doesn't look right) and when I washed the skillet, the mix came right off.

I read and reread the instructions that came with it so I'd have it down pat how to take care of it. I've had other cast iron things before but didn't take the great care I should have.

I wanted a big skillet or griddle to do up a mess of bacon and eggs. Also, from my adventure in making the tortillas the other day. Needed a bigger one for the bigger tortas.

Found out also, when I make bigger pancakes, I need a larger flipper. Hubby didn't think I was making the pancakes big enough so I poured a nice sized large one. It bubbled merrily and then needed to be flipped. So, I slides the flipper underneath, make a mental count in my head and do the flip. The pancake was so large and the flipper so small that the pancake broke in half! That's how I spilled some mix over the side! But I got the both pieces flipped and it turned out just fine after all.

Now, I'm going to post this and we'll see how my pic came out. If not, welp, there is always the 'edit' button... :-)

Lookie What I Found!!!

http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/substit.html

I found this because I needed to know if I could sub veggie oil for shortening. Answer: Nope, you shouldn't.

Check it out, it's the greatest!

Skillet Won't Come Clean

I made the tortillas the other day, remember?? Well, I got the skillet too hot without enough oil and now have a stained skillet. I've tried all sorts of stuff, even rubbing it with salt.

No matter...I need a new skillet anyway. A bigger one and heavier too. I'd like to get a cast iron one or a pancake griddle OR maybe even both! Now, wouldn't that be a treat??

I could make my tortillas as big as I want and do up some pancakes...yum...just thinking about that sends me into bliss!

So, I'm off tomorrow to scout out skillets. My husband is kind of suspicious that I can't 'clean' the one I have and need a new one. Wonder why he would think that?? Hmmmm??

No Pics yet...

I have tried several times and can't make the pics come out. No matter, this won't daunt me a bit. I'll keep trying. Keep checking back for further developments, okie dokie?? :-)

My Tortilla Adventure

My home stomping grounds is in the Southwest and I grew up eating the real deal mexican food. Never knew there was anything else except the flavorful, wonderful mexican food close to the southwestern border.

So, when as a teenager, my mom got a wild hair and moved us to the northern part of Texas, I never thought that the food would change that much. Oh, was I wrong. While the Texan mexican food was good, it wasn't the same. Down by the El Paso border, the food is good, even in Laredo, it's good but there is something about the southwestern part that just 'took' me.

Years later, I attempted tortillas and chips. Turned out pretty good. I had a wok, of all things, to fry them in and it went well. I like a wok in that you cook in the bottom and then can scoot things out of the way and let them drain. So, put the tortillas and a wok together and you've a winner in my book.

Fast forward two decades and my renewed interest in cooking...plus the internet. I found a recipe for plain old tortillas, without anything fancy. I've been buying them from the store for our tacos and burritos but there isn't anything that comes close to homemade.

Matter of fact, I felt a little bit like a fish out of water yesterday. Seemed to me I should 'know' innately how to fry up tortillas! Should be in my genes, how to fry them, shouldn't it?? Felt a little off kilter.

I assembled the flour, baking powder, salt and Crisco. Mixed them together, thinking something isn't right. Oh yeah....I should have mixed the first three together first and then cut in the Crisco. No matter, that doesn't stop me! Mixed it together anyway. FINALLY it start looking right. (Note to self: Next time, read the whole recipe and do it properly. Don't be a know-it-all)

Then I added the hot water a little at a time. You know how when you first add water and it doesn't look 'wet' enough and you think you need more water? That's what I thought too. But fortunately, I had the sense to let the water work its way through and started in on the kneading process.

Again, read all instructions and then maybe re-read for 'just in case'. I slapped the dough down, thinking it's dry enough, doesn't need any flour on the block. I know, you're mentally slapping me upside the head right now, aren't you?? I knead away, wondering if I'm ever going to get the dough to be elastic-y. Finally, this happens...thank God...

I took a little veggie oil and rubbed it all over and then set it back in the bowl, covered with my dish towel. (It was clean) 10 minutes later I pulled it back ut. Looked the same to me. Uh-oh?? Not sure but I'm committed.

Pulled off a little gold ball sized hunk and rolled it up. Now during this time, you would think I'd have the sense to warm up the skillet. I don't have a cast iron or really heavy one but I do have a very good quality (can't think of the name....grrrr!) one that has stood me in good stead for several years. Then it dawns on me to warm 'er up!

Get that done and go back to rolling out the dough. Then it dawns on me again that I forgot to buy a rolling pin from the last time I attempted biscuits....jeez.... It's a really good thing that the pomegranite juice people put out a nifty glass that is just perfect for rolling! Pull that out of the cupboard and away I go! Roll this way and then that and then repeat. Yeah, that's the ticket!

Get it rolled out nice and thin, albeit not in the round. Sort of ameoba shaped. Are you with me here?? But it's rolled out, what the hell do I care what shape it is??

Then it dawns on me, I don't have a big enough skillet to make the big tortillas. Have to settle for the smaller ones. No matter, not going to stop me!!

I popped that baby in the skillet, watched it for a minute, flipped it over, saw that nicely browned bubbly underside-flipped-up and my heart just sang! Scooped it up and plopped it on the plate, then covered it. Started the next one and repeated 5 times.

Hubby was watching this and truth be told, I think he was secretly amused. I sent him to the store to buy some because mine weren't big enough but I was able to feed him some real tortillas with all their good taste. He was a bit surprised at the difference.

It was almost like comfort food to me. I'm not ashamed to say that I scarfed the ones he didn't eat, they were small-ish anyway. Reminded me of the true southwest. Not the papery taste of store bought ones.

Pure bliss...*sigh*....

Pictures?? A Better Lookin' Blog??

As I've written, my blogs are a first for me. I've been reading others and mine are so plain jane! They need pictures, poor things! Something to spice things up, knowwhatImean? So, in the next few days, I'll experiment and try to make things better. Hang in there with me, my faithful readers, I know I can do it!

Makin' The Mixes...The Spice Thing

Welp, I'm trying to save money. That's one of the reasons I'm really trying to brush up what skills I have in the kitchen. It's a lot more work but, overall, it's very satisfying! Strangely so.

I went to the store the other day and bought all sorts of spices. Didja know that there is a brand that has almost every kind of spice for only 50 cents for each bottle?? Wow, I was in hog heaven!! Loaded up my cart, did I. I did have to go with the store brand on a couple of items but still lots cheaper than the name brand stuff.

Now I have oregano (ultra big bottle), chili powder, sage, parsley flakes, sweet red pepper flakes (whatever that is for, I don't know), plenty of garlic powder, the list goes on and on.

I bought boullion granules too. So, I'm in the aisle of the store looking at one bottle of cubed boullion and the other of granule. The granule one is about 40 cents more than the cubed, right? So, I'm thinking/wondering, why is this?? Don't you just take the cubes and crush them up and make granules? Then I got to thinking that that would be really messy and the cubes looked pretty freakin' hard so crushing might not work very well after all. I went with the granules. That extra 40 cents was hard to pay though!

Anyway, I have made a little cannister of spaghetti sauce mix. All I have to do is add the ground beef and tomato paste and we're good to go! Actually I had to tweak the mix a little bit to give it a little more oomph but it's very good now. I think I made the whole cannister for the cost of a couple of packets of ready made mix! Supposedly, this mix will last for a whole year in the fridge. At the rate we're going, we'll use it up way before then!

Next, I'm going to try taco mix. I'm a mexican food lover, coming from the deep southwest, so I know good mexican food! I'll try it this weekend and report back what I find and how it tasted.

Anyway, the point today is that I've discovered spices and learning to deal with them. Spices can be my friend. That's what I keep telling myself!!